Etrian Odyssey Untold 2 brings us the remastered version of Etrian Odyssey 2; featuring across the board improvements and an attempt by Atlus to rebrand the older games in the series following the popularity of Etrian Odyssey 4. With the first Untold game, my big problem was that I wasn’t sure if there was enough different to warrant a second purchase, but Etrian Odyssey Untold 2 feels like a bigger and more complete package.
Telling a Story:
As with the first Untold game, Etrian Odyssey Untold 2 delivers both a story and classic mode to play with. Story mode follows a preset party with in game voiceovers while classic mode is essentially Etrian Odyssey 2 with all the improvements made with the Untold version. This time around, the story mode has been enhanced with a brand new class called the Fafnir Knight that makes use of the new force system to transform during combat and use unique skills.
The first bit of great news is that Untold 2 features multiple save slots, meaning you can play both story and classic mode at the same time. As with EO 4 and Untold 1, you can choose to play on picnic, normal or expert mode which affects the enemy stats as well as giving you the option to continue on death. As with Untold 1, Untold 2 takes the second game into 3D with more involved enemy fights along with challenges in the dungeon. The ability to unlock floor jumps for completed maps is back along with the use of grimoire stones to give characters different skills.
Story mode returns, giving fans of traditional JRPGs an option to play through
Along with updated graphics, the musical arrangements have been enhanced with new remixes of the original themes, but you can also select classic from the options menu. Another big change from the original Etrian Odyssey is the redesigned classes
Class Struggles:
Similar to the first game, every class that makes a return in Untold 2 has been changed with altered or brand new skills. The War Magus for instance, now synergizes with aliment causing abilities to allow them to inflict stronger debuffs on enemies.
The highlander class from Untold One is available as DLC and the Sovereign classes from EO 3 are available in classic mode. A brand new feature is a redesigned “force” option for every class. In the original EO 2 when a character’s force meter filled up, they could unleash a one turn super move on the enemy or buff the team that was dependent on the class. In Untold 2 however, it now becomes a two stage special ability. Every character can enter a heighten state for three turns which again is unique to that class, and at any time they can cancel it early to unleash a super move.
These super states/moves are really game changers and not only make the classes shine even more, but become very useful for expert players. One of my favorites is the Gunner’s ability to attack twice per turn for three turns without any added TP costs and can end the state with a guaranteed stunning massive shot on the enemy. The class designs of the EO series is one of my favorites out of the RPGs I’ve played and having more abilities to make them unique, and making it harder to decide who to take is definitely a plus in my book.
Another returning element from Untold 1 is the grimoire stones that allow you to give characters different skills. The rules are the same with the grimoire chance happening during battle, but the stones have been changed a bit. Each stone now comes with one primary ability and may have a secondary if you find a rarer stone. Equipping a grimoire that has the same skill as the character who wields it will augment the skill (for example a level 2 grimoire will make the respective skill 2 points stronger when the character uses it.)
Untold 2 continues the rebalancing of skill trees for each of the classes
Equipping grimoires is handled at your new guild house/restaurant … no really. This time around the use of food as party wide buffs is folded into the side story of restoring a restaurant in the town.
You’ll now find ingredients off of enemy encounters and harvest points that can be used to unlock new foods at the restaurant. Further still, you can set up ad campaigns to attract people to the restaurant and earn free money that way while you are out in the dungeon.
The buffs are pretty varied and can help you out in the dungeon in a variety of ways and provide another way to help your party out.
The restaurant expands out into a little mini game where you can setup ad campaigns in different parts of the town to attract people and get money, along with upgrading the town for more customers. While it’s not a huge thing, it does help to break up the dungeon crawling and gives you something to look forward to.
One final change in EO Untold 2 and it’s a big one, is the use of DLC to add more content. With the launch of the game and for the next several weeks, there will be DLC quests and bonus content available. From looking at the list, Atlus is planning on releasing new challenges and boss fights for Untold 2; this is the first time an EO game has DLC of this nature and I’m curious to see how the fans will take it. Overall there is definitely more to love about Untold 2, but the question remains if it’s worth a second buy.
Retelling the Story:
When I spoke about Untold 1 over at Blackgate, I mentioned that fans were debating whether or not the Untold series was different enough to justify a second purchase. The first Untold did feel more like a remastered version without a lot truly making it different from the original. However Untold 2 with the changes to class designs, grimoire stones, updated combat and side features, feels like a different game compared to the original.
FOES continue to be a challenging presence in the dungeon
With that said, there isn’t much for me to complain about with Untold 2; not because the game is perfect, but that it features the same quirks that I’ve fallen in love with the series and that have polarized people with over the years. At this point, you should have made up your mind regarding whether or not you enjoy the EO series and while the Untold games do make things more accessible, they’re still the same dungeon crawling gameplay.
With each Untold game, Atlus is making the series better as a whole and I’m really interesting to see how this continues with the next EO or Untold game. If history repeats itself, the next Untold will be based on my personal favorite of the series to date. Etrian Odyssey Untold 2 is more to love and another solid RPG entry on the Nintendo 3DS.
